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Eric.ed.gov – Educator Enhancement Academies Evaluation Study: Phase 2. Teacher and Trainer Reports of NxGen Professional Development and Their Sense of Preparedness

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: As the final stage of West Virginia’s rollout of the Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives (NxGen CSOs), the regional education service agencies (RESAs) conducted six train-the-trainer events in the spring of 2013 to prepare educators–mostly teachers–to provide professional development back in their home schools and districts. These events, called Educator Enhancement Academies (EEAs), lasted two or three days depending on which RESA conducted them, and targeted teachers in grade levels that had not yet received professional development in the NxGen CSOs, that is, Grades 2-3, 6-8, and 10-12. The first phase of this study looked at how well prepared those trainers were at the end of their EEA experience by asking them about their experiences during the training and after they, themselves, conducted training sessions during… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Barriers to Student Success in Madagascar

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Various indicators suggest that math and science students in many developing countries are lagging behind their counterparts in other nations. Using Madagascar as a case study, we aimed to: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of education among those enrolled in science and math programs at primary, secondary, and university institutions; and, (2) understand barriers to student progression through the education system. To that end we conducted 63 semi-structured interviews in June and August 2012 with science and math teachers in five population centers, across all three levels of both public and private school systems. We found that crowded classes, limited resources (pedagogical and infrastructural), an average student range in age of seven years per classroom (suggestive of grade repetition and/or late school starting age), and discontinuities in the… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Building Academic Skills in Context: Testing the Value of Enhanced Math Learning in CTE. Pilot Study

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This report describes the conduct and outcomes of an experimental pilot study conducted in Spring 2004 to develop and test a model that aimed to enhance career and technical education (CTE) instruction with the mathematics already embedded in the curricula of six occupational areas. Although present in the CTE curriculum, math is largely implicit to both teachers and students. The impetus for the study is that many high school students, particularly those in enrolled in CTE courses, do not have the math skills necessary for today’s jobs or college entrance requirements. This research project was aimed at using an authentic context for teaching math skills. Preparation for the study began in the summer of 2003 with the nationwide recruitment of teacher-participants. CTE teachers who were interested in… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Using Tablet Computers as Instructional Tools to Increase Task Completion by Students with Autism

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This single subject design study (ABAB) investigated the effects of using iPads[R] in a classwide academic intervention to increase independent task completion and basic math skills of seven students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enrolled in a special education school for students with moderate to severe disabilities. An additional purpose of the study was to identify the advantages of and challenges to using iPads[R] for classroom instruction. Traditional basic math instruction was used for the baseline phase, while a basic math skill app on an iPad[R] was used for the intervention phase. Math probes were completed and the results recorded for four to five sessions for each of the four weeks of the study. Data on level of teacher prompting and presence of noncompliant behaviors were… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Is Transition to a Special Education School an Effective Answer to Mathematics Difficulties?

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In this paper, the authors looked at the effectiveness of special education schools for mathematics learning. Mathematics education is a key to increasing the later professional and citizenship opportunities of students and mathematical understanding influences decision making in all areas of life. Additionally, math failure correlates highly with referral to special education, grade retention, and school dropout and are cumulative and worsen with time, therefore, early identification and intervention is important. Empirical data from Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, was used, which makes an interesting case study as it has a strong tradition of separate special education. Study results indicated that students with special educational needs are better off in mainstream education than in a special education school, at least as far as mathematics goes. Also,… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Teaching Mathematics in a Project-Based Learning Context: Initial Teacher Knowledge and Perceived Needs

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper reports on initial data from teachers at an Australian Year 9-12 secondary school which is attempting to implement a project-based learning model across the entire curriculum. The eight teachers had diverse prior teaching experiences, including work in primary schools, special education, Year 7-10 secondary schools, and technical and further education. None had studied mathematics at tertiary level and just one listed maths as a main teaching area. Results of an initial survey indicate that most had reasonable levels of personal mathematics competence, and could identify relevant mathematical concepts among the affordances of a particular scenario, but that they struggled to articulate how they would work with students to pursue any of the relevant mathematics in depth. [This project was funded by University of Tasmania Research… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Connections between Teacher Perceptions of School Effectiveness and Student Outcomes in Idaho’s Low-Achieving Schools. Summary. REL 2014-012

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This summary highlights the findings of a study that examined the survey responses of teachers from 75 Idaho schools working on school improvement. Results of the study showed schools with higher teacher reports of the presence of the goals, processes, and supports essential for student success did not have higher rates of reading proficiency, math proficiency, or attendance. A few significant relationships were found in subsamples of schools. A significant positive relationship was also found between school attendance in elementary schools in 2012 and teacher ratings of five of nine other essential goals, supports, and processes. The findings suggest that Idaho educators and others using teacher perception surveys should proceed cautiously in making decisions based on perception surveys. They might also consider using data from other sources… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Testing Instrumentation Validity for Measuring Teachers’ Attitudes toward Manipulative Use in the Elementary Classroom

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In this study a survey instrument was developed to test elementary teachers’ attitudes towards incorporating manipulatives in their math lessons frequently. Though the benefits of using math manipulatives has been reported, there seems to be a disconnect between the benefits of manipulative use and the number of teachers integrating them in their lessons on a daily basis. In this study a total of 22 regular education teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade and five learning support teachers in grades first through sixth from a rural elementary school were given a survey instrument to test its validity and reveal some trends in teachers’ views on manipulative use as well as possible causation for their views. Findings from the study show that though many teachers feel comfortable using and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in New York State. Technical Report

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The New York State Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC) serves the Governor and is charged with ensuring that all of New York’s young children are healthy, learning, and thriving in families that are supported by a full complement of services and resources essential for successful development. The council’s Workforce Work Group is dedicated to the development of those adults who work in a range of programs to realize this vision. Teacher preparation, the Birth to Grade 2 Certification, and leadership development are strong components of the Workforce Work Group’s charge. To gain a clearer picture of early childhood-related offerings throughout the state’s higher education system, and to explore some specific issues related to the state’s teacher preparation system, the ECAC with its partner members, New York Early… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Connections between Teacher Perceptions of School Effectiveness and Student Outcomes in Idaho’s Low-Achieving Schools. REL 2014-012

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Policymakers and practitioners frequently use teacher surveys to inform decisions on school improvement efforts in low-achieving schools. There is little empirical evidence on how the results of these surveys relate to student outcomes. This study provides information on how perception data from a teacher survey in Idaho is correlated with three student outcomes: reading proficiency, math proficiency, and attendance. The Idaho State Department of Education uses the Educational Effectiveness Survey (EES), an annual teacher survey developed and administered by the Center on Educational Effectiveness, to gather information on school qualities believed to be the goals, processes, and supports essential for school success. Used widely in the Northwest Region, the survey is similar to teacher perception surveys used nationally. This study covers the 75 low-achieving Idaho schools that… Continue Reading